Janet Creighton

I would like to clarify your second sentence:
Until now, it has been believed that only human “stem cells” obtained from discarded embryos could perform this function because they were designed to transform into the full range of body organs as embryos developed into babies.

The human “stem cells” you speak of are EMBRYONIC stem cells. Yes, in nature, the 5-day old embryo changes into every type of cell in the human body under the ideal conditions in the womb – but not so in the laboratory. In the lab, embryonic stem cells grow rapidly and uncontrollably into tumors, mostly cancerous, indicating serious and potentially lethal side effects. An embryonic stem cell implant could only be successful by cloning the patient to avoid rejection.

Scientists know that the human embryo is a human being. It is the media that leads us to believe that it is a philosophical, religious, or moral question to determine when life begins – anything but scientific. That way it can be debated and considered immaterial.

The reality is that in EMBRYONIC stem cell research human beings are being destroyed in hopes of helping other human beings. “The end justifies the means” is a Communist philosophy not American and certainly not Christian.

There are two kinds of stem cells: embryonic (immoral) and adult (morally acceptable). EMBRYONIC stem cells are taken from the unborn. All other stem cells fall into the category of ADULT stem cells, including stem cells obtained from umbilical cord blood, bone marrow, skin, nose, eyelid, teeth, hair, blood, etc.

Overall, there just hasn’t been a clear distinction made between the two types of stem cells.
Articles reporting cures using adult stem cells attribute the cure to stem cell research (SCR) in general, leaving out the word ‘adult’. It is not unusual that the success of adult SCR go to embryonic SCR. The reader or listener is misled into believing that there have been successes with embryonic stem cell research when there have been none.

Adult stem cells on the other hand have provided therapeutic benefits for hundreds of thousands of human patients. Physicians have used ADULT stem cell therapy for years treating acute leukemia with bone marrow transplantation. More recently, for example, through ADULT stem cell therapy, patients suffering spinal cord injury have been able to wiggle their toes, walk with a walker as apposed to being wheel-chair bound, and have regained bladder control, which is a big deal. I would like to emphasize that this is by using ADULT stem cell therapy.

It is about time that the media gives some attention to ADULT stem cell research. It is time to recognize EMBRYONIC stem cell research as failed research. Billionaires and large corporations have lost billions of dollars over the last 25 years on embryonic stem cell research (ESCR). These investors now lobby for our tax money. They know that once they get their foot in the door, it’s all a matter of budget, and with their lobbyist efforts the funds are virtually unlimited. They use the life issues debate to get pro-abortion advocates to back up their request for our tax dollars.

Just ask the question, “Why are the wealthy advocates of embryonic stem cell research not investing in it themselves?”

David Grimly

Yes it is true that adult stem cells have been invaluable in treating and curing several diseases. However you statement about embryonic stem cells not creating a single cure is like saying 15 years ago that the internet will never amount to anything.

The reality is that embryonic stem cells were only discovered just a few years ago (I believe just 6 years ago). Whereas adult stem cells was discovered about 30 years ago. The cures and treatments do not happen overnight and by saying that there are no cures to be found with this technology is ignorant at best.

Truth is embryonic stem cells are already in clinical trials for at least one disease and this summer another clinical trial is likely to begin for Spinal Cord Injury.

All this being said. The latest news about cell reprogramming will probably reduce the necessity for ESC for treatments. Although ESC will still be needed for research purposes for the time being.

I am all for science and the ethical use of this science however it is truly sad that “Christian” ethics is blind to reality. All of the leading scientists agree that embryonic stem cells holds the most promise in cures of the future. Hopefully we can use the new procedure to reduce that need ethically.

Do you still believe that Man was magically created in one single day? Logically speaking we evolved from something else just like the rest of the animals of the world.

Janet Creighton

Hi David,

Thank you for your comment: “Yes it is true that adult stem cells have been invaluable in treating and curing several diseases.”
I have been blogging about stem cell research and most bloggers for embryonic stem cell research do not recognize the value of adult stem cell research.

In reply to: “However you statement about embryonic stem cells not creating a single cure is like saying 15 years ago that the internet will never amount to anything.”
It is a matter of tense. I did not say embryonic stem cell research will not find a therapy, I said they haven’t.

In reply to: “The reality is that embryonic stem cells were only discovered just a few years ago (I believe just 6 years ago). Whereas adult stem cells was discovered about 30 years ago.”
Embryonic stem cells were discovered in the human embryo in 1998. They have been experimented with on mice for just over 25 years.

In reply to: “The cures and treatments do not happen overnight and by saying that there are no cures to be found with this technology is ignorant at best. Truth is embryonic stem cells are already in clinical trials for at least one disease and this summer another clinical trial is likely to begin for Spinal Cord Injury.”
Again, I did not say there are no cures to be found in this technology. I said there are none to date. Would you please post the whereabouts of the white papers on the clinical trials that you refer to as I have found no legitimate clinical trial using embryonic stem cells.

In reply to: “Although ESC will still be needed for research purposes for the time being.”
Immoral research is never needed. We are all familiar with the Nuremberg trials. Now it isn’t hard to be against burning, freezing, poisoning, or experimenting on, when that human being is an adult – or worse yet a child. But how come not intolerable when the human being is in the most helpless second stage of development, an embryo?

Simply put – we can’t picture it. It is our limitation of not being able to see that limits our understanding and compassion. And yet the science of biology states, as a fact, that even the very first cell created at fertilization is a human being – unique with DNA present.

I can only restate: The reality is that in EMBRYONIC stem cell research human beings are being destroyed in hopes of helping other human beings. “The end justifies the means” is a Communist philosophy not American.

Ray Hartley

Janet – Isn’t the point of the latest discovery that science will no longer need to use embryonic stem cells because of advances in using ordinary skin cells?

Janet Creighton

Ray – Wouldn’t that be wonderful if embryonic stem cell research would stop. Yet, I have been reading that Senator Spector and others are not impressed and will continue to push for ESCR funding. And others are saying that it is still needed. I don’t know why.